More than a dozen participating groups and agencies including the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, Department of Conservation (DOC), Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury and Ngāi Tahu rūnanga today signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to remove pest animals from the 115,000 hectare peninsula by 2050.

A large predator free area featuring some of the South Island’s most majestic landscapes is the long-term vision of a multi-million-dollar predator control project announced by the Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage today.

The Green Party has written to the Environment select committee asking for it to consult the public on banning the private sale and use of fireworks.

“Fireworks cause hundreds of accidents each year, start fires and cause distress and sometimes injuries to animals. It’s time for private sales to fizzle out and be replaced by safer, better, public displays”, Green Party spokesperson for animal welfare Gareth Hughes said today.

Instead of hosting US-style weapons expos like that being held in Palmerston North, New Zealand could be a world leader in peace mediation, humanitarian work and neutrality like Norway, Switzerland and Finland, Green Party Defence spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said today.

“This American style event where arms manufacturers showcase weapons like pocket machine guns, killer drones and self-steering bullets that are then sold for huge profits to be used in global conflicts would shock most New Zealanders.

In response to calls for a compulsory energy rating for buildings the Green Party is renewing calls for the building code to take better account of energy efficiency.

“New Zealanders are living in damp and cold homes that have low energy efficiency due to a failure to retrofit our old housing stock and bring it up to modern standards”, Green Co-leader Marama Davidson said today.

“Each and every home in Aotearoa should be meeting high standards for energy efficiency, especially when being rented out.

New Zealand has joined an international pledge to cut plastic wastes from our economy and environment, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.

“The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment sees the countries involved commit to a ‘circular economy’ approach to plastics, preventing them from becoming waste and ensuring they don’t end up in the environment,” Eugenie Sage said.

Green Party MP Jan Logie has welcomed the Law Commission’s briefing on alternative approaches to abortion law.

“At the moment in New Zealand abortion is treated like a justice issue instead of a health issue.

“Women are forced to jump through hoops to get an abortion. Our law doesn’t reflect contemporary values and creates inequalities and unnecessary delays. The current 40 year old abortion law is just not working.